Mechanic study based on untargeted metabolomics of Pi-pa-run-fei-tang on pepper combined with ammonia induced chronic cough model mice.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pi-pa-run-fei-tang (PPRFT), a traditional Chinese medicine formula with long-standing history, demonstrated beneficial effect on chronic cough. However, the mechanism underlying efficacy unclear. In current research, we explored the impact and molecular mechanism of chronic cough mouse stimulating with capsaicin combined with ammonia. AIM OF THE STUDY: To investigate the metabolic modulating effects, and potential mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effect of PPRFT in chronic cough. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Chronic cough mouse models were created by stimulating mice by capsaicin combined with ammonia. Number of coughs and cough latency within 2 min were recorded. With lung tissue and serum samples collected for histopathology, metabolomics, RT-qPCR, immunohistochemistry, and WB analysis. Lymphocytes were isolated and flow cytometric assays were conducted to evaluate the differentiation between Th17 and Treg cell among CD4+ cells. RESULTS: Results indicated that PPRFT obviously reduced the number of coughs, prolonged cough latency, reduced inflammatory cell infiltration and lung tissues damage, and decreased the serum level of IL-6, IL-1ß, TNF-α, and IL-17 while increasing IL-10 levels. Notably, PPRFT suppressed Th17 cell divergence and promoted Treg cell divergence. Furthermore, serum metabolomic assays showed that 46 metabolites differed significantly between group, with 35 pathways involved. Moreover, mRNA levels of IL-6, NF-κB, IL-17, RORγT, JAK2, STAT3, PI3K and AKT in lung tissues remarkably reduced and mRNA levels of IL-10 and FOXP3 were elevated after PPRFT pretreatment. Additionally, PPRFT treatments decreased the protein levels of IL-6, NF-κB, IL-17, RORγT, p-JAK2, p-STAT3, p-PI3K, and p-AKT and increased the protein levels of IL-10 and FOXP3, but no significantly effects to the levels on JAK2, STAT3, PI3K, and AKT in the lungs. CONCLUSION: Conclusively, our result suggested the effect with PPRFT on chronic cough may be mediated through IL-6/JAK2/STAT3 and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB pathway, which regulate the differentiation between Th17 and Treg cell. This beneficial effect of PPRFT in capsaicin and ammonia-stimulated chronic cough mice indicates its potential application in treating chronic cough.

The Synergistic Lubrication Effects of h-BN and g-C3N4 Nanoparticles as Oil-Based Additives for Steel/Steel Contact.

The synergistic effect of different types of solid particles in liquid lubricants is of great interest. In this work, g-C3N4 nanosheets were initially prepared using a calcination method and then as-prepared, and h-BN were used as lubricating additives to the white oil. A comparison between the mixed additives and the single g-C3N4 or h-BN additives revealed that the base oil with the addition of g-C3N4 and h-BN showed the best lubricating properties. The results show a 12.3% reduction in friction coefficient, resulting in a 68.6% reduction in wear rate compared to the white oil when filled with 0.5 wt% g-C3N4 and h-BN (1:1 by weight). Moreover, the addition of g-C3N4 and h-BN improves the high-temperature lubrication properties of the white oil. However, the friction coefficient and wear rate increase with increasing oil temperature. The large contact area between g-C3N4 and its sliding counterpart and the strong adhesive force between h-BN and its sliding counterpart improve the film formation efficiency, leading to enhanced tribological properties under oil lubrication conditions.

Pi-Pa-Run-Fei-Tang alleviates lung injury by modulating IL-6/JAK2/STAT3/IL-17 and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB signaling pathway and balancing Th17 and Treg in murine model of OVA-induced asthma.

ETHNOPHARMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE: Pi-Pa-Run-Fei-Tang (PPRFT) is an empirical TCM prescription for treating asthma. However, the underlying mechanisms of PPRFT in asthma treatment have yet to be elucidated. Recent advances have revealed that some natural components could ameliorate asthma injury by affecting host metabolism. Untargeted metabolomics can be used to better understand the biological mechanisms underlying asthma development and identify early biomarkers that can help advance treatment. AIM OF THE STUDY: The aim of this study was to verification the efficacy of PPRFT in the treatment of asthma and to preliminarily explore its mechanism. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A mouse asthma model was built by OVA induction. Inflammatory cell in BALF was counted. The level of IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α in BALF were measured. The levels of IgE in the serum and EPO, NO, SOD, GSH-Px, and MDA in the lung tissue were measured. Furthermore, pathological damage to the lung tissues was detected to evaluate the protective effects of PPRFT. The serum metabolomic profiles of PPRFT in asthmatic mice were determined by GC-MS. The regulatory effects on mechanism pathways of PPRFT in asthmatic mice were explored via immunohistochemical staining and western blotting analysis. RESULTS: PPRFT displayed lung-protective effects through decreasing oxidative stress, airway inflammation, and lung tissue damage in OVA-induced mice, which was demonstrated by decreasing inflammatory cell levels, IL-6, IL-1ß, and TNF-α levels in BALF, and IgE levels in serum, decreasing EPO, NO, and MDA levels in lung tissue, elevating SOD and GSH-Px levels in lung tissue and lung histopathological changes. In addition, PPRFT could regulate the imbalance in Th17/Treg cell ratios, suppress RORγt, and increase the expression of IL-10 and Foxp3 in the lung. Moreover, PPRFT treatment led to decreased expression of IL-6, p-JAK2/Jak2, p-STAT3/STAT3, IL-17, NF-κB, p-AKT/AKT, and p-PI3K/PI3K. Serum metabolomics analysis revealed that 35 metabolites were significantly different among different groups. Pathway enrichment analysis indicated that 31 pathways were involved. Moreover, correlation analysis and metabolic pathway analysis identified three key metabolic pathways: galactose metabolism; tricarboxylic acid cycle; and glycine, serine, and threonine metabolism. CONCLUSION: This research indicated that PPRFT treatment not only attenuates the clinical symptoms of asthma but is also involved in regulating serum metabolism. The anti-asthmatic activity of PPRFT may be associated with the regulatory effects of IL-6/JAK2/STAT3/IL-17 and PI3K/AKT/NF-κB mechanistic pathways.

Tribological Properties of Carbon Fabric/Epoxy Composites Filled with FGr@MoS2 Hybrids under Dry Sliding Conditions.

Hybrids of fluorinated graphite/MoS2 (FGr@MoS2) were prepared via a hydrothermal method and used as lubricating additives to take full advantage of the synergy between FGr and MoS2 in carbon-fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The results show a 21.6% reduction in the friction coefficient compared to the neat sample when the CFRP was filled with 1.2 wt.% FGr@MoS2 hybrids. The addition of 1.5 wt.% FGr@MoS2 resulted in a 60.9% reduction in the wear rate compared to neat CFRP. For the 1.2 wt.% FGr@MoS2-reinforced CFRP, the friction coefficient maintained a relatively steady value of approximately 0.46 at various temperatures, indicating frictional stability. However, the wear rate increased by 13.95% at 60 °C compared to that at room temperature. The interfacial bonding force between the FGr@MoS2 hybrid and the matrix, as well as the adhesive force with the surface of the counterpart ball, is improved, caused by the heterostructure of FGr@MoS2, resulting in enhanced mechanical properties and formation efficiency as well as the transfer film on the surface of the counterpart ball. The results suggest that an FGr@MoS2 micro-nano structure is a promising additive to be applied in polymer tribology.

Soft Gripper with Electro-Thermally Driven Artificial Fingers Made of Tri-layer Polymers and a Dry Adhesive Surface.

Soft grippers have attracted great interest in the soft robotics research field. Due to their lack of deformability and control over compliance, it can be challenging for them to pick up objects that are too large or too small in size. In particular, compliant objects are vulnerable to the large grasping force. Therefore, it is crucial to be able to adjust the stiffness of the gripper materials. In this study, a soft gripper consisting of three artificial fingers is reported on. Each of the artificial fingers is made of a tri-layer polymer structure. An exterior layer, made of an ecoflex-graphene composite is embedded with electric wires as a heating source, by applying direct-current potential. The Joule heat not only allows for deformation of the exterior layer, but also transfers heat to the middle layer of the thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) elastomer. As a result, the stiffness of the TPU layer can be adjusted using electro-thermal heating. Meanwhile, the third layer consists of a polydimethylsiloxane replica as a supporting layer with a gecko-inspired dry adhesive structure. By applying voltage through electric wires, the artificial fingers can bend and, thus, the soft gripper can hold the objects, with the help of the dry adhesive layer. Finally, objects like a shuttlecock, tennis ball and a glass beaker, can be picked up by the soft gripper. This research may provide an insight for the design and fabrication of soft robotic manipulators.

High-Temperature Tribological Behavior of HDPE Composites Reinforced by Short Carbon Fiber under Water-Lubricated Conditions.

The polymer water-lubricated bearing is widely used in marine transmission systems, and the tribological properties can be improved by addition of inorganic nano-fillers. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of SCFs and temperature on the water-lubricating properties of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) composites. HDPE composites reinforced by varying content of short carbon fibers (SCFs) were fabricated via twin-screw extrusion and injection molding techniques to study the hardness and surface wettability of those composites. The tribological properties under water-lubricated conditions were investigated through a pin-on-disk reciprocating tribometer under different temperatures. The results showed that the increase in hardness of HDPE composites reached maximum to 42.9% after adding 25 wt % SCFs. The contact angle also increased with the increase in SCFs content and reached a maximum of 95.2° as the amount of SCFs increased to 20 wt %. The incorporation of SCFs increased the wear resistance and lubricating property of HDPE composites at different temperatures. The HDPE composite containing 20 wt % SCFs showed the lowest friction coefficient of 0.076 at 40 °C, and the wear track depth reached a maximum of 36.3 mm at 60 °C. Based on the surface wetting property and wear analysis, potential effect mechanisms of fillers and temperature were discussed. The knowledge from this study is useful for designing the anti-wear water-lubricated polymer bearing.

Application of vacuum sealing drainage and cryopreservation technology in hand and foot skin replantation / 中国骨伤

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To summarize the clinical effect of avulsed skin replantation of hand and foot via vacuum sealing drainage (VSD) combing low temperature technique.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>From March 2012 to October 2013,13 cases with avulsed skin replantation of hand foot using combined technique included 8 males and 5 females with an average age of 32 years old ranging from 18 to 62 years. The time from injury to hospital was 1 to 4 hours (2.4 hour in average). The reasons of injury included machine injury in 7 cases and rolling over by cars in 6 cases. The parts of injuried involved finger in 2 cases,back of the hand in 5 cases and dorsum of foot in 6 cases. The area of avulsed skin was 5 cm x 6 cm to 12 cm x 16 cm,tendon and bone exposure was found in 4 cases. VSD was operated in all patients and the avulsed skin was refrigerated in the temperature of -4 °C or -80 °C. After 4 days, the skin stored in the -4 °C was replanted to the wounded place in 5 cases and in 3 cases the skin was planted to the donor site of flap. The skin stored in the -80 °C was replanted in 4 cases after 7 or 8 days, 1 case after 45 days.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Of the 13 cases, 1 case of degloved injury from lower leg to dorsal foot,the replanted skin was necrosis completely; 1 case of degloving injury with fourth finger,the skin which replanted after 45 days survived approximately 30%,cured after skin-graft many times. In the other cases, the survival area of replanted skin was more than 85%, all cured after dressing. According to the standard of skin survival area evaluation by Jia et al, 11 cases showed excellent, 1 showed medium and 1 showed inferior. There were no complication about grafted skin rupture after the skin survived in 11 patients,after 4 to 22 months follow-up, the resiliency of grafted skin showed good. Sensation recovery was measured by BMRC standard: 3 cases of S3, 5 cases of S3, 3 cases of S2.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>VSD combining lower temperature technique in skin replantation provides time and space for wound preparation and treatment plan for the patients who need second surgery, especially for the large area skin degloving,this method could utilize the degloved skin efficiently, decrease the donor site area, alleviate the pain and financial burden,reduce the scar formation of donor site and impediment.</p>

[Reconstruction of thumb opposition function by transferring extensor carpi ulnaris and extensor pollicis brevis muscle tendons].

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the results of thumb opposition function by transferring the extensor carpi ulnaris and the extensor pollicis brevis muscle tendons. METHODS: Between March 2006 and August 2009, 35 patients with dysfunction of thumb opposition were treated and the thumb opposition function was reconstructed by transferring the extensor carpi ulnaris and the extensor pollicis brevis muscle tendons. There were 25 males and 10 females with an average age of 33.5 years (range, 20-53 years); 20 had median nerve injury in the wrist and 15 had median nerve injury with ulnar nerve injury. The causes were sharp instrument injury in 24 cases, blunt injury in 9 cases, and hot crush injury in 2 cases. Six cases complicated by shaft fractures of radius and ulna. All the patients underwent an operation of nerve repair at 1 to 3 hours after injury (mean, 2 hours). The time from injury to reconstructing operation was 6-14 months (mean, 7.5 months). Two cases was able to abduct thumb slightly, the others had no functions of thumb abduct and thumb opposition. RESULTS: All the wounds gained the primary healing. The patients were followed up 12-18 months (mean, 14 months). The wrist joint angle and thumb dorsal extension were satisfactory. Thumb abduct and thumb opposition function returned to normal in 20 patients with simple median nerve injury; in 15 patients with median nerve injury and ulnar nerve injury, thumb abduct and thumb opposition function returned to normal in 15 and 13, respectively. According to ZHAO Shuqiang's standard, the results of thumb opposition function were normal in all patients at 12 months after operation. CONCLUSION: It is a convenient and efficient procedure to reconstruct thumb opposition function by transferring the extensor carpi ulnaris and the extensor pollicis brevis muscle tendons.

[Diagnosis and treatment of the metacarpophalangeal joint locking caused by sesamoid turned-over dislocation of the thumb].

OBJECTIVE: To introduce diagnosis and treatment of the metacarpophalangeal joint (MPJ) locking caused by sesamoid turned-over dislocation of the thumb. METHODS: Five cases with metacarpophalangeal joint locking were involved in the study, male 4 and female 1. The average age was 35 years old(ranging from 18 to 47 years). All the patients received manual reduction under local anaesthesia. But only three were successful, others patients were reduced by operation. Metacarpophalangeal joint locking caused by sesamoid turned-over dislocation with the volar plate and the short flexor muscle of the thumb tendon were reveded. The metacarpophalangeal joint locking was released after reduction of sesamoid turned-over dislocation of the thumb. RESULTS: The mean follow-up time was 15 months (3-34 months). The mean range of MPJ flexion was 45 degrees (35 degrees - 60 degrees). The signs for pain and swelling were released. Satisfactory thumb opposition can be seen. CONCLUSION: It was one of the important reasons of the metacarpophalangeal joint locking caused by sesamoid turned-over dislocation of the thumb.

The Arabidopsis inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate 5/6 kinase, AtItpk-1, is involved in plant photomorphogenesis under red light conditions, possibly via interaction with COP9 signalosome.

The COP9 signalosome (CSN) plays important roles in multifaceted cellular processes. Study has shown that inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate 5/6 kinase (5/6 kinase) interacts with CSN in mammalian cells. However, the biological function of the interaction still remains unknown. Here, we report that the Arabidopsis inositol 1,3,4-trisphosphate 5/6 kinase (AtItpk-1) is also associated with CSN and involved in photomorphogenesis under red light (RL) conditions, as demonstrated by co-immunoprecipitation of AtItpk-1 with CSN and characterization of the atitpk-1 mutants. Expression analysis showed that AtItpk-1 had the same sub-cellular localization and organ expression pattern as CSN. Furthermore, autophosphorylation analysis showed that AtItpk-1 has protein kinase activity. Under RL, the atitpk-1 mutants exhibited phenotype slightly similar with that of the csn mutants, indicating that 5/6 kinase might be involved in the same developmental pathway as CSN. This study suggests that AtItpk-1 may function as a protein kinase that is involved in photomorphogenesis possibly via interaction with COP9 signalosome under red light.